Police reports: Whose pants are these?

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Editor's note: The following excerpts were taken from Eagle County law enforcement officers and police reports.

A deputy stopped a 21-year-old driver in Eagle after he failed to use a turn signal.

While checking the registration, the deputy realized the man had an arrest warrant for failing to appear in court on charges of introducing contraband to the jail.

The man was arrested for the warrant. The deputy searched him but missed a small pocket in the man's jeans.

While being booked, the man verified several times that he didn't have any contraband. Upon final inspection, however, a small bag of marijuana was found.

The man immediately yelled, "That's not mine!" He said he didn't know who it belonged to but it wasn't his. He wasn't sure if the pants were his, either.

He was booked for the warrant and cited for introducing contraband into the jail and possessing less than 2 ounces of marijuana.

IPhone dumped at landfill

An employee at a Beaver Creek hotel said his iPhone was stolen on July 14 after he left it in a public restroom by the lobby.

He said he only left it there for a minute and returned when he realized he forgot to take it with him. He tried using the Find My Phone application, but it had already been deactivated.

On July 17, he received an email from the Find My Phone app. It indicated the phone was at the county landfill. He went there and searched for it with a shovel. He dug around for a while, but there was too much trash to sift through.

The phone and its accessories were valued at almost $1,000.

Lead foot

A deputy was parked on the side of U.S. Highway 6 in Avon on July 25 when he saw a car that was speeding.

The officer flashed his emergency lights to get the car to slow down. The car slowed for a moment and then sped back up. The deputy turned his lights back on and pursued the car.

The 28-year-old driver didn't have a license. He was arrested for driving with a revoked license and also cited for speeding.

Drunken driver blames mom

A deputy was driving on Highway 6 in Edwards when a car passed him at a high speed in a no-passing zone.

The deputy pursued the car, but the driver didn't yield to the officer's emergency lights and pull over. The deputy caught up with the driver at a gas station.

The 21-year-old man was shirtless and intoxicated. He said he was rushing to help his mom, who recently had neck surgery. Details of his story conflicted, and he had a hard time finding the paperwork for his car.

Officers went to the mother's house to see if she was OK. She said she was not in need of any assistance. Her son had called and told her to expect him home soon.

The man was asked to perform voluntary roadside maneuvers, but he refused. He said his mom had been driving. He was arrested for further investigation of driving under the influence of alcohol. On the way to jail, he vomited several times in the back of the patrol car and called the female deputy "Johnny."

He was charged for DUI, reckless driving, illegal passing, failing to yield to an emergency vehicle and speeding. His driver license was also surrendered.

I-70 stop leads to DUI charge

Deputies stopped a car on Interstate 70 in Wolcott on July 28 for a case of suspected drunken driving.

The 22-year-old driver had trouble giving his name and the car smelled strongly of alcohol. Ice and bottle caps were in the front passenger seat and a blanket covered some items in the back.

One of the officers saw a handgun on the back seat within arm's reach of the driver. The deputy ordered the man out of the car at gun point.

The driver's handgun turned out to be an air pistol. A half-empty bottle of tequila and several beers were also in the car.

The car was not insured and was towed. The man said he was in the United States illegally and this was his third DUI. His last one was a few months ago in Carbondale.

He was jailed for DUI, driving without a license and without insurance, and driving with an open container of alcohol.

Selling 'shrooms

A Bureau of Land Management officer was patrolling State Bridge Campground on July 29 when he heard two men discussing the contents of a Crown Royal bag.

The officer approached, and one of the men stuffed the bag into his pocket. The officer searched the 21-year-old man and found the bag, which contained several smaller bags of psilocybin mushrooms. The BLM officer detained the man and contacted deputies.

The man was jailed for possession of a controlled substance and intent to distribute.

Not the spot for a nap

Loud snoring noises recently led an Eagle Police officer who was on foot patrol to find an apparently intoxicated man sleeping under a picnic table.

The man was found at around midnight at a pocket park located next to a residential area.

The officer said it took about a minute to wake up the man and that he had bloodshot eyes, slurred speech and unsteady balance. The officer said the man also had difficulty figuring out how to get out from under the table.

When the officer attempted to find out where the man lived and if he had any friends nearby, he replied with unintelligible responses and profane insults.

The officer learned that earlier in the evening, another Eagle officer had contacted the man and his two companions because they were intoxicated and vomiting in a parking lot.

Police were able to contact a sober person to take responsibility for the man and no charges were filed.

Offer of marijuana

Eagle Police were contacted July 22 on a report that someone was trying to sell drugs at the Eagle Rest Area site.

The caller asked to remain anonymous but noted that a man just tried to sell him some marijuana.

When the officer arrived on the scene, she did not see the suspect vehicle but noticed another car occupied by a white male. The license plate for the vehicle matched the one reported for the suspect.

The officer noted that when the driver of the suspect vehicle saw her patrol car, he "made furtive movements and quickly started his vehicle and attempted to drive away." She pulled him over.

A strong marijuana odor emanated from the vehicle and the officer explained why she had pulled over the driver. The man said he had come into contact with another man at the rest area bathroom. He said the other man appeared to be in pain and so he offered him some marijuana. The suspect said he knew his actions were wrong, but he felt sorry for the other man. He denied trying to sell drugs.

The officer asked the suspect to hand over his marijuana, and he produced about 5 ounces. He also produced his driver's license and his medical marijuana card. He claimed to have gotten the marijuana from a dispensary in Glenwood but then admitted he grew the marijuana himself. The officer noted the suspect was "very nervous, sweating and shaking."

When the officer asked why the man was so nervous, he said he had been in trouble in the past and was trying to stay clean and do the right thing.

The officer educated the man about the rules of possessing and distributing a controlled substance and then gave him back his marijuana and his medical marijuana card. No charges were filed.

Hot dog

Eagle Police were called to a local fast food restaurant parking lot on a report of animal cruelty on July 23.

The reporting party said someone had left a dog inside a vehicle while he went inside the restaurant and that the temperature outside was 93 degrees. She said when she attempted to contact the animal's owner, he told her to mind her own business and "chased" her away.

When the officer arrived in the parking area, he found the suspect vehicle and two people standing outside. The man said he was waiting for police to arrive because a woman had just threatened to call them.

The man said when he and his female companion arrived at the restaurant, they rolled down the van windows and went inside to order food and get some ice for their dog. After placing their order and while the woman was getting the ice, another woman came inside and yelled for the owner of the van. When he identified himself, the man said the woman yelled at him, saying leaving the animal in the car was illegal. He said he told the woman to mind her own business and that nobody loved the dog like he does.

He said when the woman left, he followed her outside to finish their conversation and explain the situation. He said she got in her car and told him she was calling the police.

The officer noted all of the van's windows were partially open and the windshield was covered with a sun visor. The dog had ice in his water bowl and the temperature inside the van was not warmer than the outside temperature. The owner brought the dog out of the vehicle, and the officer reported the animal appeared to be healthy and happy with its owners.

The officer shared information about the dangers of leaving a pet inside a vehicle when it is hot and recommended different options to avoid problems in the future. No charges were filed.

Miscellaneous mischief

• On July 19, two signs were pulled off doors on the east end of the Eagle Town Park stage. Town employees also found beer cans, marijuana pipes and other trash in the area. Damage to the signs was estimated at $63, and Eagle Police will contact several juveniles who were spotted in the area to discuss the problem.

• On July 8, a resident of Eagle Villas reported the hard cover cap for his truck bed was stolen. The item was valued at $1,500.

• Three stop signs in Eagle-Vail were removed and thrown into a couple ponds around July 24. The cost for repairs is estimated at $200.

• A store and lodge in State Bridge was broken into around July 23. The store was rummaged and two bedrooms of the lodge had been slept in. A doorknob to one of the rooms was broken.

• Two male inmates were cited for harassment after fighting in the jail. One was taken to the hospital to have his jaw examined.

• Rocks were thrown through the window of an apartment office in Edwards on July 27.

• Mud was thrown against a house on Apache Drive in Gypsum between July 24-27.

• A couple reported their camp gear was stolen from a campground near State Bridge while they were gone on July 31. The stolen gear included a Marmot Limelight tent, Paco sleeping pads, birth control, propane tanks and cam straps. The total value of the items was about $1,000.

• An adult full-suspension scooter and a child's trailer bike were stolen from a property on Eagle Drive in Eagle-Vail between July 27-31.